GenQ

Are you interested in starting a GenQ group for your area? Fabulous! Facebook can give your group the outreach tools it needs for a successful launch.

First Things First

The strength of GenQ is simple: members like you.

Check to see if there is already a GenQ Facebook group on your college’s network. If not, no problem (in fact, it might make your job easier). Go ahead and skip to the next section.

If a GenQ group already exists, try to see if it is active or not. If it is an active, thriving group, then just join and invite your friends. If you would like to become more involved, message the administrator(s) to discuss plans on turning the “virtual” group into a more active student group. You could even ask the group’s creator to add you as another administrator. (For using an existing group, see Transitioning from Facebook to the Real Deal).

In the unfortunate situation that the existing group is inactive and the administrator is unresponsive and/or uncooperative, your best move is probably to start a new group. Make sure to post the link to your new group on the old group’s profile.

Designing the GenQ Profile

The strength of GenQ is simple: members like you. We want you to make your local Facebook group your local Facebook group. In other words, consider these suggestions as helpful guidelines, not rigid mandates. This is a page for your local GenQ chapter. Design it as such.

Picture

For a selection of logos, go to our Host a Banner page. Feel free to customize the logo to your specific GenQ chapter.

Group Name

Make the title of your group local: This will help people who are already in the global GenQ Facebook group differentiate it from their local GenQ group (and so no GenQ has to be in two groups named “GenQ”).

Group Description

Again, make it your own. Here are some suggestions:

    * Use our web content as a resource.
    * Link to http://www.Generationq.net.
    * Add info about your local GenQ chapter: Does a GenQ group already exist? Are you looking to start a GenQ group? What are your visions for the group?
    * Link to the global GenQ group.

Strategic Growth

Once the group has been created, the next important step is to strategically encourage growth. A group is only as useful as its members, and a new group is unlikely to just grow on its own. In planning for success, keep these two goals in mind:

   1. Size—Obviously, a large group has greater potential than a tiny one. The trick to growing your group is simple: invitations, invitations, and invitations. Invite all your friends. However, do not stop there. Specifically ask a few of your friends to invite all of their friends as well. Growth must be pursued if you expect the group to become large.
   2. Diversity—One of GenQ’s greatest strengths is its wide appeal.In planning the group’s growth, purposefully strive to widen the group’s ideological diversity. What is the best way to do that? Personally ask friends who are involved with segments of the campus community that you are not personally involved with to invite all of their friends to the group. During the growth stage, plan on “infiltrating” a wide spectrum of campus communities.

Moving Forward

Now that you have solid base of virtual GenQ enthusiasts, the next step is to make an effective transition from “virtual” to “reality.” For tips on this see Transitioning from Facebook to the Real Deal.

Let us know about your group!! Contact Andrew Stopps, GenQ Online Organizer, or message him as GenQ of the administrators of the Global group, to tell him about your local network GenQ group.

Contact GenQ’s Youth and Campus Outreach Coordinator, Chris Pycroft, for questions concerning GenQ's campus chapter program.

Tags: facebook, GenQ